Farmer, consumer and health groups are viewing the passage of the legislation as a victory for biotech giant Monsanto. The House of Representatives passed a controversial bill Thursday that bans mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods and allows companies to deceive consumers about the nature of products, critics say. Farmer, consumer and health groups are viewing the passage of H.R. 1599, or the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act, which was approved by 275-150 vote, as a victory for biotech giant Monsanto. “Passage of this bill is an attempt by Monsanto and its agribusiness cronies to crush the democratic decision-making of tens of millions of Americans. Corporate influence has won and the voice of the people has been ignored,” said Andrew Kimbrell, executive director of Center for Food Safety, which has represented over 300 groups over this issue. “We remain confident that the Senate will preserve the rights of Americans and stand up for local democracy.” A recent survey found that 93 percent of U.S. citizens favor mandatory labels on genetically modified foods. “This is yet again a reminder of how out of touch a majority of members in the House of Representatives are with the values and needs of the American public,” said Colin O’Neil, the Center for Food Safety’s director of government affairs. “Any Representative that voted to keep their constituents in the dark will not only have to answer to the Food Movement, they will have to answer to a lot of angry constituents at Town Hall meetings over the August recess.” Should it be passed by the Senate, what critics have dubbed the “Denying Americans the Right to Know (DARK) Act” would have wide-ranging consequences for the food industry, including expanding the definition of “natural” to include some genetically modified ingredients, while also removing local control over where genetically modified products are grown. “We urge Senators not to support this bill, said Food & Water Watch Executive Director Wenonah Hauter. “The majority of Americans are interested in requiring labeling for GMOs and will hold their elected officials accountable if they vote to strip away transparency about how their food is produced.” Much of the opposition toward the bill has been directed toward “agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation” Monsanto. Source URL |
